Chapter 8: Animagi
It was a few months later in Transfiguration when Professor McGonagall told us about Animagi, wizard who could change into animals. It was highly dangerous and the Ministry kept very close tabs on any one trying it. We stared in shock as Professor McGonagall changed herself into a cat and back. She explained to us that it was a very detailed process, difficult and dangerous. And an idea began forming in my brain.
I was silent all the way to lunch. I think my friends were disturbed a little by my silence, but they didn't say anything. And I was thinking hard.
"Ow! What was that for?" I asked as James punched me in the shoulder that night in the common room.
"I called your name five times. It's time for bed."
"Alright. I'm coming."
"Honestly Sirius, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. Why?"
"You haven't said a word since this morning."
"I'm just thinking."
" I warned you about that."
"Shut up."
"Ow!"
"About what?" He asked as we changed into our pajamas.
"What?"
"What were you thinking about?"
"A very dangerous idea that could get us expelled, trapped, or even killed."
"Cool! What is it?"
"Goodnight Jamie."
"Goodnight."
The lights flicked off. I counted in my head. 4,3,2,1…
"Oh come on, tell me, Sirius. Tell me. Please? Tell, OW! That hurt, Remus!"
"So shut up. SOME of us are trying to sleep because SOME of us have a test tomorrow." James went to bed after that.
The next morning was Saturday so early that morning I slipped away. It was very easy. Remus had a make-up test and Peter and James was sleeping. (I swear, Peter could sleep through a dragon blowing up our common room.) I went to a place no one thought Sirius Black knew existed. The library. The only problem was I soon found out the information I needed was in the restricted area. I thought hard. How to get it out? I could always use the invisibility cloak. But we had learned from experience that the cloak didn't fool Dumbledore. If he came in while I was wearing it, he would see me. Besides, I wouldn't have as much freedom worrying about some one seeing or hearing me. But if I asked permission, I could look as long as I wanted. No one would expect that of me and I liked being unpredictable. So I asked permission.
I checked both the transfiguration room and McGonagall's office before I found myself at the door to the teacher's lounge. Pushing the door open slightly, I noticed McGonagall, alone, going over a stack of papers.
"Professor?" Professor McGonagall looked up. She looked surprised to see me.
"Yes, Mr. Black?"
"Er, Well, I was wondering…" She gave me a look. " There's this book I wanta read but it's in the restricted section and you need permission to go in there so I was wondering if I could get it?" I said this all very fast. She studied me for a long moment and I wondered if she thought I was mad. But when I looked up, she was smiling over her spectacles.
"Am I getting this? Sirius Black is asking permission to do something? I'd never thought I'd see the day."
"Well, I like being unpredictable."
"Well you certainly are. Don't worry about that." She laughed. "What book?"
"It's about Animagi. I think that's the coolest thing! I mean when you turned into the cat. That was just so cool! I just want to know more."
She smiled at me. " Alright." She signed the slip and handed it back to me.
"Thanks!" I turned to go
"Sirius." I stopped. That had to be the first time she had ever called me by my first name.
"Yes, Professor?"
"Just try not to get in any trouble."
I grinned "Don't worry." And ran out.
I gave the note to Madam Pince who frowned but gave me the book. Then I fled to the safety of our dorm room. It was lunch so the room was deserted. I was grateful for that. I opened the dusty book and began to work. I made notes and everything. I was so involved I didn't even notice the others come into the room until they jumped on my bed
"So why weren't you weren't at lunch, then?" James asked picking up a sheet of my sloppy notes. I couldn't help smiling at them.
"We can do this."
"Do what?" Remus asked.
"This." I waved the paper in his face.
"Animaigus potion." He read, then he stared at the paper.
"You're not serious?"
"No, I've changed my name to Bob. Yes, come on, we can do this! We can be with you during the full moon! Werewolves are only dangerous to"
"Humans." James finished, his eyes wide. " But if we were animals. Oh yes! This could work! Siri, you're a genius."
" I know."
"Hold on ,mates, have you seen this potion?" Peter asked.
"Yeah. Some of that stuff is a little hard to get a hold of but we can do it."
"No way. No, this spells can go really wrong. I can't let you do that."
"Relax Re, it's us." James said slapping him on the shoulder.
"Exactly."
'He's right Remus. We want to be with you. You said it your self it was hard to change. But with us there it'll be fun. We can go exploring, find all the secret passageways. By our seventh year we'll know this place better than Filch." I said. Remus didn't look convinced.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. We're doing it." Remus smiled a little
"You would really do that? For me?"
"Of course you're our friend. It may take us a while but we'll do it." James laughed. As if there had ever been any doubt. Remus's mind later changed and he tried his best to persuade us to change ours, but he never succeeded. We were set in our goal.
As long as it took us to actually find the book that contained the spell and not simply the basic outlines or definitions of being or becoming an animagus, the summer term had ended. We found the recipe in a very old, tattered, and dog-eared book, hidden in the back of the restricted section, that easily weighed as much as I did.
We flipped through it, eying the horrid effects of advanced spells gone wrong, including the very spell we were attempting. It was as if even the book was warning us against our self proclaimed mission. But after months of searching, we were closer than ever and we finally had the exact preparations needed and we were ready to begin.
That summer we went to James's house. It was located right in Diagon Alley. We parked outside the record store and I dragged dad and Addi through the pub, waving a hello to the barkeeper, Tom. I pulled out my wand, and tapped the brick that allowed entrance. The wall parted and I ran inside, searching for James's address.
It took awhile, before I was given instructions by a very tall, very thin frail looking old man who was missing both his eyes. But felt his way around with a stick, poking me in the stomach several times and warning me " not to trust the small one." I promised I would't and turned down Largewood Alley.
To my surprise, the houses changed from rickety crooked old wooden buildings to large stone manors, with gardens and fountains and metal fences. James's was the largest, with a large foutain in front, a mermaid who laughed and waved to us as we made out way up to the huge oak doors.
I raised the brass knocker who began to shout into the house, "Someone's at the door!" and the door was opened by a ghost. I grinned, but Addi and Dad stared.
"Yes? May I help you, sir?" his voice was low and drouzy. His long coat tails hovered behind him as he floated.
"I'm looking for James. James Potter? He's expecting me." Just then James himself came barreling out the door and through the ghost, who looked only slightly irked.
"Thanks Giles, that'll be all." James said, waving the ghost butler aside. He sighed.
"Yes Master James." James pulled me inside, waving my father and sister in as well.
"Moony's here too, come on." With that he pulled me into see his mum and dad. He introduced my father and sister to his mum and dad. Before long James and Remus pulled me up to James's room. Addi followed.
"Here it is, my humble abode."
"Wow!" And wow was right. His room was huge. Pictures of his favorite Quidditch team hung everywhere. And I was surprised to see pictures of the four of us, even some with the girls, hanging everywhere. They were from everything from fooling around to our school pictures. He had them everywhere.
"You like it?" I grinned and turned to him.
"I love it."
"So this is what you guys do when you're away." Addi whispered, staring in amazement at the moving pictures. We laughed. James and I shared a "Marauders forever!" and a high five. Just then Peter arrived and we all went down to meet him.
His parents and my dad hit it off right away. They soon became best friends. Lily and Erin were able to come and we terrorized James's Diagon Alley. We spent many nights in the Leaky Cauldron, only to be sent out by Tom who shoved us out the door with a wave and a "Go on home, you kids. See you tomorrow."
When we got to the train station we piled our things onto the train and went out to say goodbye. Addi's train had left earlier that morning. I hugged my dad extra long. I just got a strange feeling, like I wasn't going see him again. The whistle blew.
"Make me proud kid. Just keep your grades up."
"I will. I promise."
"Oh and Sirius?"
"Yeah Dad?"
"Try to stay out of trouble."
'You really like getting owls telling you what we've done, don't you?"
"It gives me a good laugh. Now get going or you'll miss the train. I love you. Sirius."
"I love you too Dad."
As the train pulled away from the station, I waved as long as I could see him. Then the train rounded a corner and he was gone. It was the last time I would ever see him again.
As third years we could take more and more challenging classes. We decided on Care of Magical Creatures, Divination and Muggle Studies. James insisted that if we take muggle studies we could pull more tricks on muggles that summer without using magic.
"It would help us understand them."
"But James, I'm muggle born." I protested.
"So? You don't know everything." I could only shake my head at that. Divination we took because the girls insisted. They were taking Care of Magical Creatures so they made us take a course they wanted to take.
Our first divination class we descovered that Remus would meet his future wife in a bizarre boating accident, James would marry a mermaid, Peter was going to be an acrobat, and I had a grim in my cup, therefore I was going to die. The teacher descovered it was going to be a long year.
We finally had all the ingredients for the potion. The only thing left was for it to simmer for 730 days.
"How long is that?" Peter asked. We kept the potion in our dorm room, covered with the invisibility cloak. Whenever we needed the cloak we hid the cauldron under one of our beds. Our room was messy enough so that no one would dare look under the beds. We weren't even sure what was under there. Remus swore there was something living in James's dirty underwear. I wouldn't be surprised.
"That's 730 minus 365 equals 365. Two years." Remus did the math.
"We just let it sit for two years?"
"Yeah, I guess. That's what it says."
"Our fifth year." James said.
"Yeah."
We settled in a routine mundane and yet chaotic life until Christmas. Then my whole world came crashing down.